Running-gear for vehicles



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. W. MGCLELLAND.

RUNNING GBAR FOR VEHIGLEs. i N0886,969. PatentedJ'uly 19, 1887.

WITJVESSES IJV'VEJVTOR (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. R. W. MGCLELLAND.

RUNNING GEAR FOR VEHIGLES.

No. 366,969. Patented July 19, 1887.

// INVENTOR Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ROBERT V. MCCLELLAND, OF CLINTON, ILLINOIS.

RUNNING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

EPECIFICATION 'forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,969, dated July 19, 1887.

Application filed March 10, 1887.

To aZZ whom it 77m7/ concern:

Be 'it known that I, ROBERT W. MCCLEL- LAND, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Clinton, in the county of De Vitt and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running- Gear for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters crfigures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in springs and running-gear for Vehicles; and it consists more particularly in the construction and combination of the parts, whereby Iproduce a run nin g-gear which is so constructed that the vehicle to which it is applied may make a very short turn.

My invention also relates to the construction and arrangement of the fifth-wheel and the attachment of sp rings th ereto, said sp ri'ngs being also connected and braccd to the front axlc.

In the accompanyi'ng drawings, which illnstrate my invention, Figure 1 is a plan or bottom view of a vehicle, showing my improvement attached thereto. Fig.v2 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the fifth-wheel detach'ed.

A refers to the body of the vehicle, which by preference has a rigid bottom board, a, to which bottom board the sides are attached. At near the central portion of the body, adjacent to the sides thereof, are attached Springs B, which may consist of two or more leaves, the bottom leaf extending. under the end of the vehicle, where it is turned into an eye for attachment to a clip, which forms a means for connecting said spring to the hind axle, O. The end of the spring opposite the hind axle O, is securely boltcd to the bottom board A of the vehicle.

D refers to the upper plate of the fifth-wheel, which is provided with side-extending portions (Z (Z, which have perforations through which securing-bolts pass for attaching this upper plate to the bottom of the vehicle, and this upper portion of the fifth-wheel is pro- Serial No. 230,403. (No model.)

vided with a central openingand downwardlyextending circular flanges c and e'. The bottom portion, E, of the fifth-wheel is of similar construction, thongh the circular flanges thercof are of preferably less diameter than the circnlar tlanges of the upperportion of the fifth-wheel, so that these fianges on the lower portion will fit into the upper ilanges. The laterally-projecting wings or side pieces of the lower portion of the fifth-wheel are boltcd to a cross-bar, F, which is ofsnfficient length to extcnd across the entire bottom of the vehicle, and the bottom board of the vehicle is connected to the transverse board by a bolt and nut, f, which serve to hold the parts securely upon each other, so that they may have a horizontal pivotal movcment.

.To the ends of the transverse board F are attached springs B', these springs extcnding to a point over the front axlc, O', to which they are clipped in any suitable manner. These Springs B' are rc-enforced by a brace-rod, G, the frontend of which is pivotally attached to a clip, (1, which is securcd to the front axlc, while the rear portion is attached pivotally to aclip, 1/, which is securcd to the transverse board F by the same bolts which hold the spring` B' thereon.

A vehicle constrncted as hcreinbeforc dcscribed is simple, and the parts are not liable to get out of order, and the same may be cheaply manufaetured, and as the dral't movcment is conimu'nicated from the front axle to the central portion of the vehicle, said movcment is so slight that it will not bc obvions to the occupant of the vehicle. Besides the aforesaid advantages, a vehicle constructcd as shown in the accompanying` (l rawings can bc turned in a very short space.

I claiml. In avehicle, the combination of the body having a rigid bottom board, springs securcd at front to said body near the center and at rear to the rear axle, a fifth-wheel, one memberofwhich is securcd to the vehicle-body near the center and the other member to a transverse bar, and indepcndent side Springs securcd at their rear ends to the outer ends of the transverse bar and at their forward ends to the front axle, snbstantially as dcscribed.

2. The combination of a vehicle-body provded centi'ally With a fifth-wheel plate and to connect the front axles to the body, subindependent side Springs connected at their stzmtially as described.

real' ends to the real' axle, a transverse bar' In testimony whereof Iaffix my signaturcin provided on its upper side with a fifth-wheel presence of two witnesses.

5 plate and at its ends with independent side ROBERT W. MCCLELLAND.

Springs and brace-rods connected at their for- Vitnesses: V Ward ends to the front axle, and the'king-bolt JOHN F. MARTIN,

passing centra]] y through said plates and -bai' p STEPHEN K. GARTER. 

